The invention relates to a forging manipulator, as required in particular in cooperation with forging machines. Forging machines, also referred to as radial forming machines, are provided with four centrally moved tools, which deform the forged piece uniformly with tools arranged opposite one another, the forged work-piece remaining in the main axis of the forging machine. The manipulator thus merely has the task of rotating the forged piece and moving it axially, so that the gripper carrier with the grippers engaging the forged piece is mounted only rotatably in a slide or carriage, and the slide or carriage is displaceable along a guide rail parallel to the main axis of the forging machine. The simple design made possible by the limited movability of the gripper carrier is adapted to these manipulators which must be kept narrow in order to retain the accessibility to the forging machine itself as far as possible and in order to be able to minimise the reach required at the loading and unloading devices and thus enable these devices themselves to be made with small dimensions, which in turn improves the accessibility of the forging machine per se.
In order to move the slides or carriages of these forging manipulators, travel drives, as known per se and customary for forging manipulators, could be provided. The latter comprise a motor which by way of a reduction gearing drives a gearwheel which engages in toothed racks which are arranged along the guide rail. They have the disadvantage that they require considerable space laterally, and obviate the advantage which the manipulators have in their simple design with respect to forging machines. Piston-cylinder units, whose suitability is lost per se on account of the long path of movement, are therefore used for moving the slides or carriages of these forging manipulators. There is also the further limitation that the manipulators require a free centre in the whole of the operating areafor the passage of workpieces and in particular for the passage of mandrel rods for forging hollow members by way of a mandrel.